77 Percent Of Teens Say 'Teen Mom' Makes Parenting Look Hard

Teen pregnancy rates are down, and a new study says it could be thanks to shows like ‘Teen Mom’ and ’16 & Pregnant’. A new statistic shows that 77 percent of teenagers are taking notice of how hard parenting really is.

With the fourth and final season of Teen Mom just hours away, viewers will be able to catch up on the cast members, including the notorious Amber Portwood and her drug troubles. The good news about her documented downward spiral? More teens realize that parenting is ridiculously hard.

The Christian Science Monitor reports a recent study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy that 77 percent of teens now have a “better understand the challenges of pregnancy and parenting” due to the MTV shows.

The statistic backs up the decline in US teen pregnancy rates — the report referred to a 2010 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that there was a record low birth rate for girls aged 15 to 19, at 34.3 per 1,000.

Additionally, these 2010 figures reflected a 9 percent drop from 2009 among teens 18-19 years old, and a 12 percent drop for 15 to 17-year-olds.

The bad news, however, is that 23 percent say that Teen Mom and 16 And Pregnant make parenting look easy. Additionally, 48 percent of adults say that the shows made pregnancy and parenthood look easy.

However, it’s good to know that for most teens, MTV reality stars like Amber are making an influence.

“People look at it so negatively, but our show has opened so many eyes,” said Maci Bookout in a recent interview.

Catelynn Lowell agreed — “Amber has told me before that she hopes that girls learn from her mistakes.”

Does this study totally give your kids a reason to tune into the shows, HollyMoms?